Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-11-11
THE Ao,rh OF HORRORS


A Mysterious Explosion and Ita Awful
Results.
81. LOUIs, November J. "A fash followed
by dull roar, and then a crash Of walls
convulsed the center of the city at 2.O3 this
morning, and then the clamor that followed
carried the rumor Of a hor -ible calamity
that had befallen three families while wrap
ped in slumbEr. An explosion Of gas in the
rear Of the cellar Of Michael NeWman's gro
Gerry store, No. South Fourteenth street,
had lifted a two-story building from its
foundations and dropped it back again in
mass, beneath which was buried seventeen
persons. They were:
Michael Newman, aged % years.
Mrs. Annie Newman, aged 10 years
Miss Mamie Newman, aged Is years.
John Newman, aged I6 years.
Nellie Newman, aged ID years.
Kate Newman, aged II years.
Eddie Newman, aged 13 years.
Chas. Devere.
Mrs. Chas. Devere.
Miss Hattie Byrant. Of Columbus, Ky,
burned about the lower limbs.
Chas. Eiferd.
Mrs. Beasley.
ADDED HORROR.
The messenger Of death had scarcely
wrecked the place before q devastating fire
swept through the ruins and seemed bent
on its internal work. Human aid was
quickly on the scene but in such confusion
the horror seemed to increase with their
efforts to relieve the imprisoned victims.
The people Of the neighborhood, dumb
founded, many bruised and none in their
normal state, rushed about the streets seek
ing friends. de uHmGTmU aEnlHnHfTlmH
moaning from bruises.
The sheet of flame that had swOOped down
upon the ruins bsftled the efforts Of the FIRE
men, who began the first systematic work,
and for few minutes bid fair to spread
into adjoining property. But good work
won, and then began the search for the
dead.
TIE SCENE OF THE DIsARrER.
The store was at the corner Of an alley
running through from Fourteenth to Fargo
street and was the north room of the bnild-
ing covering No. Z, 9 and IL south OF Four
teenth street. The building is a two story
brick and was completed but a short time
ago and only one store room was occupied,
and all the upstairs portion was occupied
by tenants, Mr.. Newman and his family of
5eV6n5 lived over the store. The force
of the explosion was terrific. The entire
block of buildings north of and across the
alley from the building IN which the 6EplO-
sion took place, were Quilted by the blast.
The Newman block crushed in and was
covered by a roof which had settled down
upon the ruins, making a barrier through
which rescuer5 had to cut a way. Beams
and walls impeded progress, and threaten
ing walls on either side, OVerhung, ready to
crush the gallant men who pressed to the
spot where calls for help directed them. The
roof was soon removed and IN the debris
was revealed the manglsd forms Of the gro
ceryman's family.
REMOVING THE VICTIMS.
Two ladies, Newman's daughters, were the
first removed, and Mamie, Is years OF age,
was still alive, but mangled from the tim
bers and charEed by fire. was beyond hope
Of recovery. Her sister Nellie, a girl of Is
years, mOaned pit5Ously Tor her sister and
seemed TO forget her own desperate in iuIies,
in mOurnful inquiries. For the half hour
that these two had been imprisoned their
efforts had been to draw near to each other,
when they saw escape impossible. Neither
can survive. The rest of the Newman fam
lily were dead. Some sat upright and others
we're doubled up IN their beds. Life had
evidently fed while they were wrapped in
5lumber. In the same building over the
store room, No. 8, lived Charles Devere, a
travelling salesman, and his wife.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
A corrected list of the dead and wounded
by the explosion is eight dead and three
wounded seriously, six others, who lived in
the building reported missing, have been
found either unlnjured or slightly bruised.
Five of the Newman family are dead,
Mamie Is horribly mangled and burned
and beyond all hope of recovery.
Nellie lies in terrible condi-
ton but may recover. Charles K. Devere
and wife, and Mrs. Agnes Beasely arc dead.
Miss Hattie Bryant is badly bruised. There
are many theories to explain the cause of the
explosion, but none are satisfactory. The
mob which press around the ruins eLCitedly
talk Of anarchists and their dynam te, but
men Of sense discountenance this idle
pratUle. The general bellies Is that ping
gas filled the cellar and that Mr.. Newman
kept a quantity of kerosene oil and gasoline
IN a celler near where the explosion evident
ly occurred. The rapid fire and the fumes
while it bU. ned indicate this. The vessels |
and oil If there were any have been destroy
ed, and the only man that knows is dead
The escaping gas theory is supported,
however, By the store boy,
Joe BiOnvenne who ~ays that he was an
noyed du ing the afternoon by a strong
smell of gas, and before shutting up the
store for the night at 7:30 O'Clock, he went
through the building looking for an open
burner. He did not visit the cellar. A
great crowd fingers around the place, but
the work Of rescue is over,